Effective Communication
by LadyKatie
Summary: House is feeling a little suffocated by Wilson’s presence in every aspect of his life. House/Wilson established relationship. Fluffy slash. One-shot.


**Description: House is feeling a little suffocated by Wilson's presence in every aspect of his life. House/Wilson established relationship. Fluffy slash.**

**Disclaimer: House M.D. is owned by David Shore, FOX and others. This is a fan work, intended solely for entertainment. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.**

Effective Communication  
By LadyKatie

House should have known it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of Wilson this morning. The Oncologist had followed him into the elevator, but didn't stop when they got to their offices. House arrived in his conference room and greeted his staff with the usual questions about their case, but Wilson was persistent.

"House I just want you to take a look at her file."

"I looked."

"You didn't open it."

"But I looked." He turned to his team. "Is our real patient cured yet?"

"He's still responding to the treatment," answered Kutner. "We were thinking we could release him today."

"Excellent plan."

"So you will have plenty of time to look at _this_ patient," said Wilson. He handed the file to Taub. "You don't have anything better to do. Except look up porn on the internet."

"I can email you some pictures later," House smiled.

"This could be interesting," said Taub. "Why don't you want to take it?"

"He didn't even look at it."

"I didn't need to."

House continued into his office and tossed his bag behind his desk. There was a pile of unopened mail that he stared at for a moment before tossing it all into his trash.

"Is it because I'm the one asking," Wilson asked in a hushed tone. The door to the conference room was closed, but the team could still hear if they weren't careful.

"Of course. Because I never take cases from you, do I?"

Wilson rolled his eyes. "You do, but I thought maybe there was something different now. That maybe it was bothering you because of… you know."

House played dumb. "What? Oh! You mean because we're sleeping together? No."

"No, because of that other thing. What I said yesterday."

He stared back thoughtfully. "Why are you here?"

"I'm trying to get you to take this case. I've done that before."

"You do that too much. I can find my own cases. You're here because you like being in my business. You like controlling every part of my life."

"That's completely untrue."

"Is it? It's always been true though, hasn't it? You've tried to control my cases, my team, my drugs." To emphasize his point, he popped another Vicodin into his mouth and swallowed. "Even my love life, to a degree has been directed by you. Now you don't even need to try because the areas that you didn't have access to before are completely open to you suddenly. It's like Christmas came early for Jimmy Wilson."

"Is that why you won't take the case? Because you think I'm controlling you?"

"Not _me._ We both know you can't do that. But my_ life_… that you can direct however you choose."

"I'm not controlling your life."

"Go back to your office. I'm sure you have some bald kids to cure."

"I'm leaving the file," he said on the way out.

House did reluctantly take the case. His team spent the whole morning running tests while House stayed in his office throwing his ball against the wall. Around noon Cuddy coerced him into clinic duty. He strongly believed that she had somehow developed that almost supernatural motherly ability to make people do whatever she wanted. It worked on him and apparently Wilson too. That was the first time they had run into each other since that morning.

They didn't speak, but after a half hour had gone by, Wilson saw House slip into an empty exam room and decided that this was his best chance. He followed, opening the door just in time to see the man downing another pill. He frowned, wondering just how many House had taken that day.

"Come to take away my little friends?"

"No, I came to talk. You know, it's that thing you do when you want to communicate in a mature, sensible manner."

"I've heard of it. We already talked."

"No, _you _talked. Ever think about taking a class on effective communication?"

"Ever think about taking a class on staying the fuck out of my business?"

"The point is, you told me how controlling I'm being, but you wouldn't even listen to my side of it."

"That's because I don't believe you."

"No, you don't want to believe me."

"Yeah, that's it."

"I don't want to control you. I think you want to believe that I do so you have an excuse to run."

"Golly, you have me all figured out." He made a move for the door, but Wilson blocked him.

"I told you that I was in love with you and you freaked out. Because as long as I didn't say that word you could pretend that all this was just another thing that made us best friends. You could pretend that you're not as emotionally vested as you are. Because if you love me back then you could get hurt. If you turn my love into my need to control you, then you have a perfect way out."

House wouldn't look at him.

"Do you want out?"

"I want you to stop talking."

"I don't want out. And I don't want you to feel like I'm controlling you. I can back off a little at work if you want. That's fine. I want you to feel completely comfortable with everything."

House didn't move and Wilson took that as somewhat encouraging and stepped toward him.

"I like how our relationship is going. I like being with you. Will you answer my question? Do you want out?"

House didn't answer, but he still didn't move either, so Wilson reached up to the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. It took a moment for House to respond, but he did. Wilson soon found himself pressed against the wall next to the door. House's cane dropped to the floor with a clatter and he held Wilson's face with both hands. They made out for a couple minutes, but then the exam room door opened. Thankfully they were behind the door, so although the door hit House when it opened, they were able to jump apart before anyone saw. In a moment of remarkably cool thinking, House kicked his cane, causing it to make the same clattering sound it made when it dropped.

"What the hell?" he said loudly. "Cripple walking here!"

"House?"

It was Kutner.

"Do you know any other cripples working here?"

"What are you doing behind the door?" He glanced at the other doctor and frowned. "With Wilson?"

"Avoiding patients." He very nearly added _what's it look like_ on the end of that, but thought better of it when he realized exactly what it looked like. Instead he bent to retrieve his cane and grumbled, "What the hell do you want?"

"Uh, we got the results back on the blood work."

He handed the paper to House who only looked at it for a moment before smiling curiously.

"Get the gang together and meet in the conference room in ten minutes. I will have her cured by the end of the day."

Kutner nodded and left, glancing once more between House and Wilson before closing the door behind him. House turned back to Wilson. His face had turned tomato red and his hair and lips did _not_ look like he had merely been avoiding clinic duty. House grinned.

"I think young Kutner is scandalized."

Wilson's eyes went wide. "Do you think he knows?"

"I think he suspects. He better suspect. If he doesn't I'm going to have to fire him for being an idiot because you sort of look like it's Friday night and Mom and Dad aren't home."

"Oh god."

"Relax. Kutner's not going to say anything. And if he does, they're not going to believe him."

House started for the door, but when his hand was on the handle he looked back at Wilson with a small smile.

"The answer was no. I don't."

Wilson grinned, understanding what House meant.

"Next time you have a patient for me, leave the file on my desk."

He nodded, accepting that as an apology and truce. House left to get back to his patient and Wilson straightened his clothes, feeling a million times better about being in love with his best friend.


End file.
